Albergue Life
There are many accommodation options on the Camino set aside for pilgrims using a credential as evidence of being a pilgrim. The majority of the available lodging is in places called albergues or refugios, which are similar to hostels. When starting in France, some of the places are called auberges or gites. Most of these places offer what would be considered as dormitory style accommodation that varies widely in the number of beds per room, similar to what will experience with hostels. In some places the total number of beds may be as many as 200 while in other places there are less than a quarter of this number. It is common to have 30 to 50 beds, or even more, in one large room; and, there are some albergues that have as few as four beds in a room. In a number of places, the large room was divided by partitions with 8 or so beds in "pods." When this occurred, there seemed to be a bit more privacy, but the partitions generally did not go all the way to the ceiling so the noise reminded you that you were still in a large room. Some nights we had a room with just the three of us and other times it was 20, 30 or more pilgrims in a large room!
Most albergues had bunk beds and, with the exception of a couple of places, these were comfortable. In some places, the beds were build into the structure, which meant that the bed wouldn't move every time you rolled over or shifted in bed. In many places, mattresses and pillows had latex covers and we were given one-time use pillow cases and bottom sheets. There are bedbug problems in a few places, but we encountered this in only one place and it affected only one person. It was the least clean of all the places we stayed, had the most uncomfortable beds and we were not given sheets and pillow cases. In all places, I used my own sleeping bag.
Some albergues had a crowded arrangement of beds and others were spacious; in some, the
space between the top and lower bunks was limited while there was a lot
more head clearance in others. I whacked my head a few
times. Most of the time, we had beds adjacent to each other, but in one location we were in separate rooms. In that situation (town of Lorca), I shared a smaller room with a Bulgarian couple and the other two guys shared a larger room with about 12-14 others.
Most albergues are operated by a municipality, parish, convent/monastery, or an association called a confraternity (locally operated or sometimes operated by a confraternity in another country). There also are many private albergues, some of which take reservations. Getting a bed in most situations is on a "first come" basis. There was a wide variation in services available, with the private facilities most often having more services such as washing machines and dryers, restaurant, bar and sometimes on-site masseuse (paid). The non-private facilities usually provided laundry sinks, clothes lines, common areas, basic kitchens and a few other things. All albergues had decent washrooms and showers, with hot water in abundance. I recall only one place where the hot water situation was not so good, but it was simply a matter of not being able to get the correct balance between hot and cold with old plumbing.
In a few places, we paid for the available laundry service which we found to be quite inexpensive when the cost was spread among the three of us. Otherwise, we hand washed a few items almost every day and then hung them to dry either outdoors when it was sunny and warm or indoors around our beds when we knew items wouldn't dry outside. I had a short rope that I hung from one end of the bed to the other as a clothesline - it worked well.
For two of the break day locations (Logrono and Burgos), we stayed in pensions that were quite comfortable. In Logrono, we had two rooms in what essentially was a small hotel without food services, while in Burgos we had a room with four beds and an older man from Uruguay was moved in with us. He spoke English quite well and the most interesting thing about him was his name (Washington Delgado). In both places, we found the lodging after arriving in the city. For our break day in Leon, we booked ahead to ensure we would have a hotel near the city centre! Our two nights at the Conde Luna Hotel were very comfortable. In all three of these places, we did our best to give them an albergue feel by emptying our backpacks and having our laundry hanging in several places to dry.
There are a few rules to follow at albergues. For example, pilgrims are required to leave their boots/shoes and hiking poles near the entrance, not take them into the bedrooms. In most places there are racks or shelves for boots and a container for poles. In addition to required departure by 8:30 am or shortly after, quiet hours kicked in no later than 11:00 pm. In a number of places, the lights were turned out by 11:00 pm and turned on around 7:00 am. The rules were followed for the most part. When it came to departing in the morning, we found many people left well before 8:00 am especially in the first half of the Camino when it still got quite hot during the day. These people wanted to leave early, so they could finish early. There were other rules about keeping kitchens clean, laundry, etc.
At all albergues, there was someone to greet us and we were required to sign in, sometimes by showing our passports. We would also have our credential stamped when checking in. At the largest facilities, there were usually a few people working at the front desk/table. Mostly, the greeters were warm and welcoming, but there were a few places where it was all business with no "small talk." Some were extremely helpful and others simply wanted to ensure pilgrims found a bed and followed the rules. The differences were quite interesting. In Belorado, a lovely couple welcomed us, with him doing the check-in and her offering us tea and cookies. The proper name for greeters is hospitalero and they receive training from a pilgrim organization in their home country. They come from many countries and typically spend several weeks or a few months doing this work on a volunteer basis.
We had no problems in finding lodging even though we checked more than one albergue in a few places. There was only one day when we did not stay in the town/village where we had hoped. When we left Burgos on Oct. 7 (15th walking day), our plan was to cover a distance of 21 km to the town of Hornillos del Camino, but when starting we knew there could be a lodging problem (limited number of beds available with many pilgrims on the trail). Our anticipation of having to walk further became a reality
when we arrived in Hornillos and discovered a very confused situation at the albergue. The hospitalero wasn't there and it was not clear when she would return. There were some empty beds, but my issue management senses told me that it could well be chaos as there were a lot more pilgrims waiting around than there were beds. Rather than wait around, we moved along another 10.8 km to the town of Hontanas.
While this ended up being the longest walking day for us, we were warmly greeted when arriving at the municipal albergue (San Juan El Nuevo) in Hontanas. It had a total of 55 beds in two dormitories and good facilities. Our room was spacious with only four bunk beds. One other person shared the room. The lounge/eating area is built over original medieval foundations visible through a clear, glazed floor. We probably had our best pilgrim dinner there – homemade paella with chicken. Very tasty!! There were only five of us for dinner, so there was plenty to go around. The other two people
were a young woman from Seoul and a man from Spain.
It is also interesting that some pilgrims book all their lodging prior to starting the Camino, with the basic intention of having a known place to sleep each day and still walking the complete route. We know a few people who did this and it seemed to work well except there were a few times when they had to take some form of transportation in order to reach a specific town. There also were some pilgrims who almost always stayed in albergues who would take a bus or taxi for a few km. Others would walk the entire distance, but used a transportation service to take their backpack to the next location. In one section of the Camino, we came across many signs for a taxi service. For example, Taxi Luis had signs posted in several places and its business cards were available in albergues, bars and restaurants over quite a wide area.
And, there also is what I would describe as the "Executive Camino." Tour companies transport people along the route, stopping periodically for people to walk a short distance before getting on the bus/van again. While this wasn't a common sight, we saw it a number of times in 100-125 km of the Camino.
I hasten to note that staying in a place where the lodging is mostly like a dormitory has its adjustments when one is used to the comforts and privacy of hotel rooms. In some albergues, it is crowded which means people (mostly strangers) are crammed into relatively small living spaces for several hours. In every situation, there always are people who snore quite loudly, are noisy sleepers and more. I'm sure you know what I mean. It's a given in such situations and one piece of advice is to have ear plugs; in fact, have two or more pairs in case you lose some. It's actually quite easy to adjust to these situations if you come mentally prepared to do so.
Daily Routine
Even though every day on the Camino has many unknowns, somewhat of a routine settles in quickly. It is a necessity if one is going to walk so many days in a row and complete the journey within a limited period of time. Furthermore, the rules about departing albergues in the mornings imposes one aspect of a routine.
We usually awoke around 6:30-6:45 am and went through the process of getting dressed, brushing teeth, taping feet, stretching and packing, so we could depart by about 8:00 am. Sometimes we left earlier than this. Then, we were usually successful in finding a place for a coffee, juice and croissant or other pastry. The walking seemed to start any time between 8:30 and 9:00 am. This pattern changed somewhat if we were not successful in finding a modest breakfast to start the day. In those situations, we would start walking right away and stop mid-morning to eat and then have lunch any time between 12:00 and 2:00 pm. After a number of walking days, however, we made a bit of a change when we started aiming for a substantial "second breakfast" (eggs, bacon, toast, juice and coffee) in the late morning and then skipped lunch.
The routine also included stops at churches for a short break to sit, reflect and pray. These stops could be at any time, so there really wasn't a set routine to this other than the fact that we did it every day.
We usually finished walking between 3:00 and 5:00 pm, but it depended upon the walking distance and the stops we made during the day. After checking in at an albergue, we would unpack what we'd needed until the next morning, have a shower, wash laundry, have a cold beverage and snack often at another place, check email/Facebook if there was Wifi, journal, write Facebook posts or send email, explore the town/village, and have great conversations with each other as well as other pilgrims. The earlier we arrived at a destination, the more time relax and/or explore the town or village, which seemed to always provide interesting discoveries.
In most places, dinner was not served until at least 7:00 pm or later, which gave us at least a couple of hours of "down" time. While we often had things to do during this time, it was a relaxing time and certainly something I looked forward to every day. For about the first two-thirds of the Camino, we were able to sit outside and enjoy the sun. In some places, we even had to look for shade because it was so hot. I have many great memories of these times.
Dinner would usually take at least an hour depending upon who we were with and the conversation. After dinner, most often we would head back to our room or walk to the albergue where we were staying, followed by some preparation for the morning. I don't recall all the detail on this, but it was rare that we were not asleep or at least in bed by 11:00 pm, often earlier.
On our break days, our schedule was flexible and depended upon what there was to see. In Burgos and Leon, for example, there was more to see and explore than in Logrono. We kept ourselves quite active on break days.
While talking about our routine, it is likely worth mentioning a bit about "Spanish time" as this did affect us a bit. The siesta is alive and well in Spain, at least along the Camino! While bars and restaurants are generally open all day long, most stores close from around midday until early evening. On those days when we decided to buy the fixings for lunch, we had to be attentive to finding a store the evening before or at some point during the morning. On days when we would be walking long distances in areas where there were few villages/towns, we also had to watch for lunch or break places. Pharmacies that sell medical supplies seem to have longer hours and bars/restaurants likely are open the longest. On Sundays, things seemed to be even more quiet.
Most places, especially in the larger towns and cities, seem to come alive after 8:00 pm or so. After being deserted during the afternoon, the street life became very active in the evenings. This didn't really cause us any problems, but it was an inconvenience a couple of times. The use of time is a really good example of cultural adjustment. Since arriving home, I have heard a BBC radio story about a Spanish government-led task force looking at how time is organized in Spain with the outcome of possibly having it be more aligned with other European Union countries. I think that would be a big challenge to implement. This experience reminds me of this quote:
"When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable." ~ C. Fadiman
Food
Overall, the food was good. I would not call it outstanding like the food in Italy, but we had many good meals and some that could be described as excellent.
As you likely noted above, breakfast varied somewhat and only in a few places did we have breakfast items that could be described as creative and tasty. While we had many breakfasts to start the day that fell into the category of being continental, we also had eggs and bacon several times. Usually this was later in the morning or close to noon when we had "second breakfast." Both the eggs and bacon were among the best I have ever had, especially the bacon. I am quite certain that pork products such as bacon and ham go through a much longer curing/smoking process in Spain than in any other country except possibly Italy. In many places, we saw hams and slabs of bacon hanging with refrigeration in restaurants/bars . For the meat to not spoil, the curing/smoking process must have been long.
Most evenings, we had a pilgrim dinner that was typically served in a dining room with tables that could accommodate several people. These meals were sometimes served at the facility where we were staying and other times we had to go to another place. A pilgrim dinner is comprised of three courses - first, main and dessert - with each course having a four or five options. The first course options would include things such as a mixed salad, pasta salad, hot pasta or vegetables of some type; the main course would have ham and/or a couple of pork options, fish, chicken and sometimes beef served with french fries; desserts were small in size and included things like packaged ice cream bars, creme caramel and a cake option. The first and main courses always were large portions. Pilgrim dinners always included red or white wine and there did not seem to be a limit to the amount. In one place, five or six of us ordered different main course items from the pilgrim dinner options, but we all got the same thing. We had a good laugh about this - likely a lesson in not communicating well in another culture.
On break days, we sometimes had tapas for dinner. Because these are small, we would go to a few places in order to try different things and eventually get filled. There were many interesting and tasty choices. In some places, tapas were included with a glass of wine and were inexpensive. I think tapas were the most creatively prepared food we consumed.
Of course, there were variations on the above. As noted above, the pilgrim meal at the municipal albergue in Hontanas did not offer options, but the homemade paella was the best dinner we had. In Leon, we had great pizza one evening and in Burgos we had a top-notch hamburger for a late lunch. While pilgrim dinners were the norm, we ordered from other menus in some places.
Blisters, Aches & Pains
All three of us had good health throughout the Camino. In researching and planning for the journey, one of the common themes is about blisters being a problem for many pilgrims. While we encountered a few small blisters or the start of a blister, none of this caused major problems or slowed us. We headed off these issues by taping heals or toes, as needed, before starting to walk each day. One of the things that also helped prevent blisters was wearing thin liners under our socks as this combination reduces the friction between your feet and the boots/shoes you are wearing. Our feet had also been toughened to some degree from several 10 km or longer walks over the few months before heading to Spain. Another thing I know that helped me was treating my feet with Bert's Bees Wax peppermint foot cream every day after walking. I think it likely was a combination of the lotion and the massage that worked well.
We saw many people with blister problems and it seemed to relate to: 1) not having their boots/shoes broken in; 2) not wearing sock liners; 3) not treating blisters properly or protecting feet before or when a "hot spot" was felt. It seemed the notable blister problems for other pilgrims started in the first week or so of walking. At our albergue in Pamplona, there was a young woman from Australia (had met her before Pamplona) who had a terrible blister problem on one heal and I was doubtful of how far she would be able to go. Before leaving there, I taped her wounded heal to maximize protection as much as possible. She had also decided to walk in Crocs for a while to reduce the friction on her heal. After leaving Pamplona, we did not see her again until after we had completed the Camino and were on a day trip to Finisterre....and there she was in good spirits and letting us know she had been able to complete the Camino.
After about seven days of walking, I started to have pain in one of my calf muscles. This persisted for a couple of days and thankfully we had a break day in Logrono. Through the place where we stayed, a massage was booked and this worked wonders. After this, I became more attentive to stretching for the rest of the way and within a few days I was pain free. After about three weeks of walking, I started having pain in the thigh muscles of one leg. Shortly after arriving at the albergue in the small town of Rabanal del Camino (pop. of about 75 people), I discovered that an on-site massage could be booked. Once again the massage worked wonders and then I added a couple more stretching exercises to the daily routine. I honestly did not anticipate the muscle problems. While they did not slow us or cause serious problems, it was a good lesson in taking plenty of time to stretch before walking and after finishing each day.
We saw some pilgrims who were suffering from some type of muscle, joint pain (knee or hip) or shin splints to the extent that some ended the walk earlier than planned. In some cases, we saw people struggling with some sort of pain for at least a few days in a row and then lost track of them as we moved further along the Camino. We don't know if they finished.
In terms of footwear, I was very satisfied with wearing hiking boots because these provided good support and less chance for an ankle injury than if I had used low-cut shoes. Many people wore low-cut hiking shoes and seemed to walk along as fast as anyone. Obviously, this is a personal preference item, but I would recommend the higher boots if you are a pilgrim concerned about ankle support. Another item that reduced strain on our lower body joints (hips, knees and ankles) was using a pair of hiking poles. Early in my planning, I had thought about only taking one pole, but changed my mind and purchased a second pole a couple of months ahead of time so I could get used to it. A wise decision.
I don't recall any place on the Camino that I would describe as dangerous. There were places where we encountered uneven footing or rocks and there were long stretches where we walked on paved or hard-surfaced dirt roads. More than anything, I think the most challenging physical aspect of the Camino was the daily pounding on feet and legs for so many consecutive days of walking. I was mentally prepared for this, but it was impossible to know ahead of time what to expect on the physical side. From our experience, I would highly recommend a few break days incorporated into the walking schedule, stretching before and after walking, having an occasional massage if muscle pain starts to surface, massaging your feet with a suitable lotion every day, and having a supply of ibuprofen and wide medical tape.
While the break days were greatly appreciated, I must say that it was good to be walking almost every day.
Fellow Pilgrims
There are so many highlights from meeting and spending time with other pilgrims that it is hard to know where to start. It is impossible to share all the stories and experiences, but here's a snapshot.
Seeing other pilgrims seemed to start as soon as we left Barcelona for Pamplona when we saw a few pilgrims on the plane and in the Pamplona airport. Once we arrived in St. Jean Pied de Port, there seemed to be pilgrims every where. It wasn't until the first day of walking, however, that we started meeting others and having conversations with them. We continued to meet new people throughout the full length of the Camino, but the number of new acquaintances declined the further along we went.
As expected, we met people from around the world - Spain, Germany, Italy, the USA, Ireland, England, Scotland, France, Holland, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, China, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, Mexico, Slovenia, Denmark, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Russia, Bulgaria, Romania and South Africa as well as several places in Canada.
Among the people we met in the first couple of days, we continued to encounter a number of them for about a week or so and then lost contact with most of them. After about a week of walking, we started meeting a number of pilgrims with whom we spent quite a lot of time for a couple of weeks, some even to the final days. These people included a larger-than life Aussie chap, two American fellows and three Canadian women from Ottawa, Montreal and one now living in Florida. While we didn't walk together a great deal, we spent lots of time hanging out at the end of the day. In the case of the woman from Ottawa, she and I discovered that our a common connection was the CBC, where both of us had worked and knew many of the same people. When gathering for a beer/wine or dinner, others would regularly join us so the size of the group varied from day-to-day
Other times we met people and spent time with them over a few days or would see them from time-to-time over several days...then they would be gone or vice versa. This group included two sisters from the US, who were lots of fun and enjoyed their wine. Similarly, we met two sisters (one living in Montreal and the other in London, UK), who also were fun. While the person living in London departed the Camino before arriving in Santiago (as planned), we saw the other three women in either Santiago or Finisterre at the end of our journey.
In the latter stages, we sometimes hung out with two young women (from Slovenia and Colombia). Also, a fellow from New Zealand became a fairly regular companion and we also spent time with him in Santiago. We had regular conversations with a young man from Slovenia for part of the journey, two young women from Germany, an eccentric man from Montana, a couple from Wicklow, Ireland, a mother and son from Cork, Ireland - lovely people, a very interesting Scotsman who spoke excellent Spanish and ended up having the company of three Spanish nurses, a wonderful couple from Mexico (who live in Texas), a man from Ottawa originally from Ireland, a young woman from Seoul and a man from Holland. There were others, and it is with this most interesting collection of people that I remember stimulating conversations, lots of laughs and some truly deep sharing. In Logrono, we spent quite a bit of time with an English fellow now living in Germany; fascinating man with many stories to tell. From what he said, he was moving along quickly and we never saw him again.
On any day, I would connect with someone on the trail and have an interesting conversation for a while. Sometimes I'd see the person again and other times it would be a one-time encounter only.
As I was arrived in the town of Triacastela, for example, Phil and I struck up a brief conversation with a Russian man living in Paris where he had started walking after we had started in St. Jean Pied de Port. He was setting an incredible pace of about 50 km per day. Never saw him again, but will remember the brief chat. (The walking distance from Paris to St. Jean Pied de Port is about 900 km before even starting the Camino Frances!)
While these pilgrim connections occurred from start to finish, there obviously were many people who we would see but never engage in anything more than a greeting such as "Buen Camino" or "Hola." Many local people would also greet us with "Buen Camino."
When coming back to the albergue in Sarria after dinner, there was a pilgrim outside with his donkey preparing for the night. The donkey seemed to be happy munching on hay. This was the closest we came to a pilgrim on horseback.
I found virtually all pilgrims to be respectful and considerate of others - in albergues and on the trail. It was easy to engage in a discussion with most people. Some were not inclined to participate, but one never knows what is going on in their life and sometimes they simply wanted to walk faster than I was walking. And, sometimes I wanted to walk in silence. At times, the language barrier would limit conversations.
In researching and reading various books and blogs about the Camino, I came across examples of confrontation and conflict between pilgrims. To some extent, I can understand how this might happen in the summer when it is hot, there are a lot more pilgrims and there is a big demand for available beds. However, we never saw any of this.
The only truly irritating issue for us and many other pilgrims were many of those making the journey by bicycle who did not provide any warning (voice, bell or horn) when coming up behind you. Often, we would hear a bicycle coming so had time to check and ensure we were safely out of the way. Other times, we had little, if any, warning. The most scary situation occurred one day when Phil and I were walking on a narrow road and two cyclists came up behind us at great speed and passed (one on each side) without any warning whatsoever. We were shocked to say the least. We heard from other pilgrims about such encounters and I have read about this since arriving home. Most of these situations seemed to occur before getting into Galacia where the bicycle route often is on paved roads and away from walkers.
Once in Santiago, we ran into several people we had not seen for a few weeks and even one person from the first week. One of the best aspects of hanging out there for a few days we were able to spend quite a bit of time with several people. While all of us were aware that so-called "regular" life was awaiting us, it sometimes seemed to me that we simply didn't want the experience to end. Even after being home many weeks, there are many days when I feel like I would like to still be walking.
Not sure how to best describe the connections made on the Camino. I would not use the word "community," but think that "fellowship" may be a better word for what was experienced. In fact, there were a number of places where the phrase "The Fellowship of the Camino" was written on a wall, a stone, pavement or guardrail.
There are many accommodation options on the Camino set aside for pilgrims using a credential as evidence of being a pilgrim. The majority of the available lodging is in places called albergues or refugios, which are similar to hostels. When starting in France, some of the places are called auberges or gites. Most of these places offer what would be considered as dormitory style accommodation that varies widely in the number of beds per room, similar to what will experience with hostels. In some places the total number of beds may be as many as 200 while in other places there are less than a quarter of this number. It is common to have 30 to 50 beds, or even more, in one large room; and, there are some albergues that have as few as four beds in a room. In a number of places, the large room was divided by partitions with 8 or so beds in "pods." When this occurred, there seemed to be a bit more privacy, but the partitions generally did not go all the way to the ceiling so the noise reminded you that you were still in a large room. Some nights we had a room with just the three of us and other times it was 20, 30 or more pilgrims in a large room!
Orisson
Roncesvalles
Larrasoana
Larrosoana
Most albergues had bunk beds and, with the exception of a couple of places, these were comfortable. In some places, the beds were build into the structure, which meant that the bed wouldn't move every time you rolled over or shifted in bed. In many places, mattresses and pillows had latex covers and we were given one-time use pillow cases and bottom sheets. There are bedbug problems in a few places, but we encountered this in only one place and it affected only one person. It was the least clean of all the places we stayed, had the most uncomfortable beds and we were not given sheets and pillow cases. In all places, I used my own sleeping bag.
Torres del Rio
Najera (90 beds in one room)
Santo Domingo de la Calzada
Santo Domingo de la Calzada
Hontanas
Sahagun
Sahagun
Most albergues are operated by a municipality, parish, convent/monastery, or an association called a confraternity (locally operated or sometimes operated by a confraternity in another country). There also are many private albergues, some of which take reservations. Getting a bed in most situations is on a "first come" basis. There was a wide variation in services available, with the private facilities most often having more services such as washing machines and dryers, restaurant, bar and sometimes on-site masseuse (paid). The non-private facilities usually provided laundry sinks, clothes lines, common areas, basic kitchens and a few other things. All albergues had decent washrooms and showers, with hot water in abundance. I recall only one place where the hot water situation was not so good, but it was simply a matter of not being able to get the correct balance between hot and cold with old plumbing.
In a few places, we paid for the available laundry service which we found to be quite inexpensive when the cost was spread among the three of us. Otherwise, we hand washed a few items almost every day and then hung them to dry either outdoors when it was sunny and warm or indoors around our beds when we knew items wouldn't dry outside. I had a short rope that I hung from one end of the bed to the other as a clothesline - it worked well.
Astorga
Astorga
Rabanal del Camino
Rabanal del Camino
Ponferrada
La Faba
Ponferrada
In addition to albergues, we stayed a few nights in casa rural, which essentially are what we would call a bed and breakfast in Canada/US. Two in particular stand out as providing among our best lodging experiences. In one (town of Calzadilla de los Hermanillos), we had our own bedroom but shared a bathroom with others on the floor. It also had a restaurant with bar services and a small patio. It offered among our best dinner and breakfast meals. In the village of Acebo, we had the top floor of a small casa rural to ourselves - two large rooms where we could spread out and relax. A self-serve breakfast was available and there also was a small grocery store on the main floor. For dinner, we walked to a restaurant/bar directly across the street.
Acebo (one of our two rooms)
In some non-private albergues, it is possible to purchase a pilgrim dinner while I think all the private facilities offer pilgrim meals and a bar service (more below on food). Some albergues had modern facilities even if the building was quite old. Many albergues are in buildings that have been converted from previous use as a church, monastery/convent or a municipal building. Some of the modern albergues are in purpose-built facilities to accommodate the huge increase in people walking the Camino.For two of the break day locations (Logrono and Burgos), we stayed in pensions that were quite comfortable. In Logrono, we had two rooms in what essentially was a small hotel without food services, while in Burgos we had a room with four beds and an older man from Uruguay was moved in with us. He spoke English quite well and the most interesting thing about him was his name (Washington Delgado). In both places, we found the lodging after arriving in the city. For our break day in Leon, we booked ahead to ensure we would have a hotel near the city centre! Our two nights at the Conde Luna Hotel were very comfortable. In all three of these places, we did our best to give them an albergue feel by emptying our backpacks and having our laundry hanging in several places to dry.
Sarria
Sarria
Sarria
I should note that pilgrims are allowed to stay only one night in most albergues unless they are sick. This stipulation was a factor when it came to our lodging selections for the two nights we stayed in cities for break days as we didn't want to check into an albergue for one night and then have to move by 8:00 am to another place on the morning of our break day. Prior to arriving in Spain, we had reservations at a private facility in St. Jean Pied de Port (similar to a casa rural) and at a private albergue for the night after our first day of walking. Thereafter, the only reservation was for the two nights in Leon and then for two nights in Santiago after we had completed the journey. All of this worked out to a total of 36 nights when we did not know where we would be staying prior to arriving in the town, village or city. I do a lot of travel planning and prefer to have most details nailed down before arriving in another country, so the Camino experience was new. I very much enjoyed this aspect of the pilgrimage.There are a few rules to follow at albergues. For example, pilgrims are required to leave their boots/shoes and hiking poles near the entrance, not take them into the bedrooms. In most places there are racks or shelves for boots and a container for poles. In addition to required departure by 8:30 am or shortly after, quiet hours kicked in no later than 11:00 pm. In a number of places, the lights were turned out by 11:00 pm and turned on around 7:00 am. The rules were followed for the most part. When it came to departing in the morning, we found many people left well before 8:00 am especially in the first half of the Camino when it still got quite hot during the day. These people wanted to leave early, so they could finish early. There were other rules about keeping kitchens clean, laundry, etc.
At all albergues, there was someone to greet us and we were required to sign in, sometimes by showing our passports. We would also have our credential stamped when checking in. At the largest facilities, there were usually a few people working at the front desk/table. Mostly, the greeters were warm and welcoming, but there were a few places where it was all business with no "small talk." Some were extremely helpful and others simply wanted to ensure pilgrims found a bed and followed the rules. The differences were quite interesting. In Belorado, a lovely couple welcomed us, with him doing the check-in and her offering us tea and cookies. The proper name for greeters is hospitalero and they receive training from a pilgrim organization in their home country. They come from many countries and typically spend several weeks or a few months doing this work on a volunteer basis.
Arca de Pino
While this ended up being the longest walking day for us, we were warmly greeted when arriving at the municipal albergue (San Juan El Nuevo) in Hontanas. It had a total of 55 beds in two dormitories and good facilities. Our room was spacious with only four bunk beds. One other person shared the room. The lounge/eating area is built over original medieval foundations visible through a clear, glazed floor. We probably had our best pilgrim dinner there – homemade paella with chicken. Very tasty!! There were only five of us for dinner, so there was plenty to go around. The other two people
were a young woman from Seoul and a man from Spain.
It is also interesting that some pilgrims book all their lodging prior to starting the Camino, with the basic intention of having a known place to sleep each day and still walking the complete route. We know a few people who did this and it seemed to work well except there were a few times when they had to take some form of transportation in order to reach a specific town. There also were some pilgrims who almost always stayed in albergues who would take a bus or taxi for a few km. Others would walk the entire distance, but used a transportation service to take their backpack to the next location. In one section of the Camino, we came across many signs for a taxi service. For example, Taxi Luis had signs posted in several places and its business cards were available in albergues, bars and restaurants over quite a wide area.
And, there also is what I would describe as the "Executive Camino." Tour companies transport people along the route, stopping periodically for people to walk a short distance before getting on the bus/van again. While this wasn't a common sight, we saw it a number of times in 100-125 km of the Camino.
I hasten to note that staying in a place where the lodging is mostly like a dormitory has its adjustments when one is used to the comforts and privacy of hotel rooms. In some albergues, it is crowded which means people (mostly strangers) are crammed into relatively small living spaces for several hours. In every situation, there always are people who snore quite loudly, are noisy sleepers and more. I'm sure you know what I mean. It's a given in such situations and one piece of advice is to have ear plugs; in fact, have two or more pairs in case you lose some. It's actually quite easy to adjust to these situations if you come mentally prepared to do so.
Daily Routine
Even though every day on the Camino has many unknowns, somewhat of a routine settles in quickly. It is a necessity if one is going to walk so many days in a row and complete the journey within a limited period of time. Furthermore, the rules about departing albergues in the mornings imposes one aspect of a routine.
We usually awoke around 6:30-6:45 am and went through the process of getting dressed, brushing teeth, taping feet, stretching and packing, so we could depart by about 8:00 am. Sometimes we left earlier than this. Then, we were usually successful in finding a place for a coffee, juice and croissant or other pastry. The walking seemed to start any time between 8:30 and 9:00 am. This pattern changed somewhat if we were not successful in finding a modest breakfast to start the day. In those situations, we would start walking right away and stop mid-morning to eat and then have lunch any time between 12:00 and 2:00 pm. After a number of walking days, however, we made a bit of a change when we started aiming for a substantial "second breakfast" (eggs, bacon, toast, juice and coffee) in the late morning and then skipped lunch.
The routine also included stops at churches for a short break to sit, reflect and pray. These stops could be at any time, so there really wasn't a set routine to this other than the fact that we did it every day.
We usually finished walking between 3:00 and 5:00 pm, but it depended upon the walking distance and the stops we made during the day. After checking in at an albergue, we would unpack what we'd needed until the next morning, have a shower, wash laundry, have a cold beverage and snack often at another place, check email/Facebook if there was Wifi, journal, write Facebook posts or send email, explore the town/village, and have great conversations with each other as well as other pilgrims. The earlier we arrived at a destination, the more time relax and/or explore the town or village, which seemed to always provide interesting discoveries.
In most places, dinner was not served until at least 7:00 pm or later, which gave us at least a couple of hours of "down" time. While we often had things to do during this time, it was a relaxing time and certainly something I looked forward to every day. For about the first two-thirds of the Camino, we were able to sit outside and enjoy the sun. In some places, we even had to look for shade because it was so hot. I have many great memories of these times.
Dinner would usually take at least an hour depending upon who we were with and the conversation. After dinner, most often we would head back to our room or walk to the albergue where we were staying, followed by some preparation for the morning. I don't recall all the detail on this, but it was rare that we were not asleep or at least in bed by 11:00 pm, often earlier.
On our break days, our schedule was flexible and depended upon what there was to see. In Burgos and Leon, for example, there was more to see and explore than in Logrono. We kept ourselves quite active on break days.
While talking about our routine, it is likely worth mentioning a bit about "Spanish time" as this did affect us a bit. The siesta is alive and well in Spain, at least along the Camino! While bars and restaurants are generally open all day long, most stores close from around midday until early evening. On those days when we decided to buy the fixings for lunch, we had to be attentive to finding a store the evening before or at some point during the morning. On days when we would be walking long distances in areas where there were few villages/towns, we also had to watch for lunch or break places. Pharmacies that sell medical supplies seem to have longer hours and bars/restaurants likely are open the longest. On Sundays, things seemed to be even more quiet.
Most places, especially in the larger towns and cities, seem to come alive after 8:00 pm or so. After being deserted during the afternoon, the street life became very active in the evenings. This didn't really cause us any problems, but it was an inconvenience a couple of times. The use of time is a really good example of cultural adjustment. Since arriving home, I have heard a BBC radio story about a Spanish government-led task force looking at how time is organized in Spain with the outcome of possibly having it be more aligned with other European Union countries. I think that would be a big challenge to implement. This experience reminds me of this quote:
"When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable." ~ C. Fadiman
Food
Overall, the food was good. I would not call it outstanding like the food in Italy, but we had many good meals and some that could be described as excellent.
As you likely noted above, breakfast varied somewhat and only in a few places did we have breakfast items that could be described as creative and tasty. While we had many breakfasts to start the day that fell into the category of being continental, we also had eggs and bacon several times. Usually this was later in the morning or close to noon when we had "second breakfast." Both the eggs and bacon were among the best I have ever had, especially the bacon. I am quite certain that pork products such as bacon and ham go through a much longer curing/smoking process in Spain than in any other country except possibly Italy. In many places, we saw hams and slabs of bacon hanging with refrigeration in restaurants/bars . For the meat to not spoil, the curing/smoking process must have been long.
Pickled white asparagus & other goodies (Burgos outdoor market)
Smoked bacon & ham (Burgos outdoor market)
Pilgrim dinner
Tapa options
Second breakfast
Texas burger in Burgos
Very fine sweets & chocolates were available in many places
All three of us had good health throughout the Camino. In researching and planning for the journey, one of the common themes is about blisters being a problem for many pilgrims. While we encountered a few small blisters or the start of a blister, none of this caused major problems or slowed us. We headed off these issues by taping heals or toes, as needed, before starting to walk each day. One of the things that also helped prevent blisters was wearing thin liners under our socks as this combination reduces the friction between your feet and the boots/shoes you are wearing. Our feet had also been toughened to some degree from several 10 km or longer walks over the few months before heading to Spain. Another thing I know that helped me was treating my feet with Bert's Bees Wax peppermint foot cream every day after walking. I think it likely was a combination of the lotion and the massage that worked well.
We saw many people with blister problems and it seemed to relate to: 1) not having their boots/shoes broken in; 2) not wearing sock liners; 3) not treating blisters properly or protecting feet before or when a "hot spot" was felt. It seemed the notable blister problems for other pilgrims started in the first week or so of walking. At our albergue in Pamplona, there was a young woman from Australia (had met her before Pamplona) who had a terrible blister problem on one heal and I was doubtful of how far she would be able to go. Before leaving there, I taped her wounded heal to maximize protection as much as possible. She had also decided to walk in Crocs for a while to reduce the friction on her heal. After leaving Pamplona, we did not see her again until after we had completed the Camino and were on a day trip to Finisterre....and there she was in good spirits and letting us know she had been able to complete the Camino.
After about seven days of walking, I started to have pain in one of my calf muscles. This persisted for a couple of days and thankfully we had a break day in Logrono. Through the place where we stayed, a massage was booked and this worked wonders. After this, I became more attentive to stretching for the rest of the way and within a few days I was pain free. After about three weeks of walking, I started having pain in the thigh muscles of one leg. Shortly after arriving at the albergue in the small town of Rabanal del Camino (pop. of about 75 people), I discovered that an on-site massage could be booked. Once again the massage worked wonders and then I added a couple more stretching exercises to the daily routine. I honestly did not anticipate the muscle problems. While they did not slow us or cause serious problems, it was a good lesson in taking plenty of time to stretch before walking and after finishing each day.
We saw some pilgrims who were suffering from some type of muscle, joint pain (knee or hip) or shin splints to the extent that some ended the walk earlier than planned. In some cases, we saw people struggling with some sort of pain for at least a few days in a row and then lost track of them as we moved further along the Camino. We don't know if they finished.
In terms of footwear, I was very satisfied with wearing hiking boots because these provided good support and less chance for an ankle injury than if I had used low-cut shoes. Many people wore low-cut hiking shoes and seemed to walk along as fast as anyone. Obviously, this is a personal preference item, but I would recommend the higher boots if you are a pilgrim concerned about ankle support. Another item that reduced strain on our lower body joints (hips, knees and ankles) was using a pair of hiking poles. Early in my planning, I had thought about only taking one pole, but changed my mind and purchased a second pole a couple of months ahead of time so I could get used to it. A wise decision.
I don't recall any place on the Camino that I would describe as dangerous. There were places where we encountered uneven footing or rocks and there were long stretches where we walked on paved or hard-surfaced dirt roads. More than anything, I think the most challenging physical aspect of the Camino was the daily pounding on feet and legs for so many consecutive days of walking. I was mentally prepared for this, but it was impossible to know ahead of time what to expect on the physical side. From our experience, I would highly recommend a few break days incorporated into the walking schedule, stretching before and after walking, having an occasional massage if muscle pain starts to surface, massaging your feet with a suitable lotion every day, and having a supply of ibuprofen and wide medical tape.
While the break days were greatly appreciated, I must say that it was good to be walking almost every day.
Fellow Pilgrims
There are so many highlights from meeting and spending time with other pilgrims that it is hard to know where to start. It is impossible to share all the stories and experiences, but here's a snapshot.
Seeing other pilgrims seemed to start as soon as we left Barcelona for Pamplona when we saw a few pilgrims on the plane and in the Pamplona airport. Once we arrived in St. Jean Pied de Port, there seemed to be pilgrims every where. It wasn't until the first day of walking, however, that we started meeting others and having conversations with them. We continued to meet new people throughout the full length of the Camino, but the number of new acquaintances declined the further along we went.
As expected, we met people from around the world - Spain, Germany, Italy, the USA, Ireland, England, Scotland, France, Holland, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, China, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, Mexico, Slovenia, Denmark, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Russia, Bulgaria, Romania and South Africa as well as several places in Canada.
Among the people we met in the first couple of days, we continued to encounter a number of them for about a week or so and then lost contact with most of them. After about a week of walking, we started meeting a number of pilgrims with whom we spent quite a lot of time for a couple of weeks, some even to the final days. These people included a larger-than life Aussie chap, two American fellows and three Canadian women from Ottawa, Montreal and one now living in Florida. While we didn't walk together a great deal, we spent lots of time hanging out at the end of the day. In the case of the woman from Ottawa, she and I discovered that our a common connection was the CBC, where both of us had worked and knew many of the same people. When gathering for a beer/wine or dinner, others would regularly join us so the size of the group varied from day-to-day
In the latter stages, we sometimes hung out with two young women (from Slovenia and Colombia). Also, a fellow from New Zealand became a fairly regular companion and we also spent time with him in Santiago. We had regular conversations with a young man from Slovenia for part of the journey, two young women from Germany, an eccentric man from Montana, a couple from Wicklow, Ireland, a mother and son from Cork, Ireland - lovely people, a very interesting Scotsman who spoke excellent Spanish and ended up having the company of three Spanish nurses, a wonderful couple from Mexico (who live in Texas), a man from Ottawa originally from Ireland, a young woman from Seoul and a man from Holland. There were others, and it is with this most interesting collection of people that I remember stimulating conversations, lots of laughs and some truly deep sharing. In Logrono, we spent quite a bit of time with an English fellow now living in Germany; fascinating man with many stories to tell. From what he said, he was moving along quickly and we never saw him again.
While these pilgrim connections occurred from start to finish, there obviously were many people who we would see but never engage in anything more than a greeting such as "Buen Camino" or "Hola." Many local people would also greet us with "Buen Camino."
When stopping to take pictures on the beautiful medieval Romanesque bridge in Puente la Reina, a pilgrim provided a most unexpected sight - he was carrying his medium size dog on the top of his backpack. This was no lap dog! He stopped for me to take a picture and then he was gone.
On the morning we were getting ready to depart the town of Villamayor de Monjardin, we struck a conversation with three men from
Barcelona who had stayed in the same albergue. It didn't take long for them to tell us they were from Barcelona and also let us
know that they were staunch Catalonians and that Catalonia should be separated
from Spain. They even made one comparison to Quebec, but the conversation did not get serious! They left us behind quite quickly because their destination was further than us, and they "needed" to reach a larger centre and be able watch the Barcelona FC game on TV that evening.
In addition to independence for Catalonia, they were passionate about football.
When coming back to the albergue in Sarria after dinner, there was a pilgrim outside with his donkey preparing for the night. The donkey seemed to be happy munching on hay. This was the closest we came to a pilgrim on horseback.
I found virtually all pilgrims to be respectful and considerate of others - in albergues and on the trail. It was easy to engage in a discussion with most people. Some were not inclined to participate, but one never knows what is going on in their life and sometimes they simply wanted to walk faster than I was walking. And, sometimes I wanted to walk in silence. At times, the language barrier would limit conversations.
In researching and reading various books and blogs about the Camino, I came across examples of confrontation and conflict between pilgrims. To some extent, I can understand how this might happen in the summer when it is hot, there are a lot more pilgrims and there is a big demand for available beds. However, we never saw any of this.
The only truly irritating issue for us and many other pilgrims were many of those making the journey by bicycle who did not provide any warning (voice, bell or horn) when coming up behind you. Often, we would hear a bicycle coming so had time to check and ensure we were safely out of the way. Other times, we had little, if any, warning. The most scary situation occurred one day when Phil and I were walking on a narrow road and two cyclists came up behind us at great speed and passed (one on each side) without any warning whatsoever. We were shocked to say the least. We heard from other pilgrims about such encounters and I have read about this since arriving home. Most of these situations seemed to occur before getting into Galacia where the bicycle route often is on paved roads and away from walkers.
This is a wide road and the gravel meant conditions where we had plenty of warning!
Not sure how to best describe the connections made on the Camino. I would not use the word "community," but think that "fellowship" may be a better word for what was experienced. In fact, there were a number of places where the phrase "The Fellowship of the Camino" was written on a wall, a stone, pavement or guardrail.
Thanks Ernie, but this larger than life Aussie is still finding things hard to re adjust, maybe its because I left so much of myself over there or that I am still trying to get my body back "which I don not regret a single day on the Camino".
ReplyDeleteYour words and photo make things easy knowing that my two months on the Camino was full of joy, kindness and love.
Thank you as I am proud to say...Friend